EPPN: Tell Congress to protect children’s health care

Posted Oct 11, 2017

[Episcopal Public Policy Network policy alert] Congress has allowed the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to expire. The failure to reauthorize this program threatens the health of 9 million children and pregnant women as well as the positive financial trajectory and stability of their families. We must urge Congress to approve and fund a five-year extension!

The CHIP program is important because it covers children and pregnant women who earn above the requirements for Medicaid but do not yet earn enough to afford private insurance.

In short, CHIP was created in 1997 with overwhelming bipartisan support. Congress has re-authorized and renewed funding for the program several times over the past 20 years, including most recently in 2015.

Congress has only a short window before states begin to run out of funding and have to terminate children’s health insurance coverage. Congress is delayed in passing this critically important renewal due to debates over how long the extension should be and technicalities of funding this historic program.

Write your Members of Congress to demand they fully fund a five-year extension of CHIP!


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